Japanese  jviejsr 


$ 


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By 

0Ht,ejV  JM.  flSRCR 


foreign  Department 
of  the 

International  Committee  of  Young  Jilen’a 
Christian  Hssociations 
124  Cast  28th  Street,  JNew  Yorh 

ds  r<f  7-, 


The  National  Committee  and  Staff  of  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associations  of  the  Japanese  Empire 
Five  college  presidents,  eleven  college  professors,  one  M.  P.,  one  lawyer,  two  government  officials, 
and  two  business  men  compose  the  committee. 


I.  AN  OLD  EMPIRE 
Second  Youth 


Japan  s history  runs  back  as  far  as  England’s,  and 
the  evolution  of  the  two  races  has  been  not  unlike;  for 
Japan,  too,  was  settled  by  successive  invaders — 
Mongols,  Malays,  and  Koreans,  who  blended  with 
the  still  older  Ainu.  Ethnologists  say  there  was  also 
an  infusion  of  Aryan  blood.  The  versatility  and 
nimble-mindedness  of  the  Japanese  may  have  come 
from  this  rich  blend;  likewise  the  two  contrasted  types 
of  face,  the  one  oval,  and  the  other  broad  and  flat- 
nosed. 

Authentic  history  begins  in  the  fifth  century,  about 
the  time  of  King  Arthur.  It  was  then  that  Chinese 
scholars  came  bearing  gifts — Confucian,  social  and 
moral  teaching;  Buddhist,  religion  and  art — much  as 
St.  Augustine  took  Christian  civilization  to  the  Angles. 

Feudalism  later  grew  up  and  flourished  almost  ex- 
actly on  the  lines  of  medieval  Europe.  There  were 
castle  and  border  forays,  and  single  combat;  deeds 
of  daring  and  self-sacrifice;  but  the  Japanese  knight 
paid  scant  courtesy  to  women,  for  the  spirit  of  Christ 
had  never  touched  the  chivalry  of  the  Orient. 

Then  from  the  time  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  until 
just  before  the  American  Civil  War — 240  years — 
Japan  lay  bolted  and  barred.  The  only  contact  with 
the  outside  world  was  through  the  one  Dutch  trading 
ship  which  was  allowed  to  visit  Nagasaki  each  year. 


The 

England 
of  The 
Orient 


Arousing 
Rip  Van 
Winkle 


3 


Japan 
Joins  the 
Proces- 
sion 


The 

Cost 


Diagno- 
sis and 
Prescrip- 
tion 


Finally,  in  1854,  Admiral  Perry  of  America  induced 
Japan  once  more  to  unbar  the  door.  Straightway 
the  nation  turned  its  face  from  the  setting  to  the  rising 
sun.  The  Emperor  was  restored  to  full  power  in 
1 868,  and,  under  the  guidance  of  sagacious  statesmen, 
the  nation  was  transformed  in  thirty  years  from  a mori- 
bund and  disjointed  kingdom  into  a united,  enlightened 
empire.  Old  things  verily  have  passed  away;  all 
things  are  becoming  new — whether  for  good  or  for  ill 
will  be  considered  later. 

The  die  has  been  cast:  Japan  has  determined  to 
join  the  main  procession  of  modern  civilization.  Her 
adoption  of  occidental  arts  and  crafts,  learning  and 
laws,  has  been  genuine.  But  she  is  trying  to  crowd 
into  two  generations  the  evolution  which  in  England 
required  five  centuries. 

It  is  an  herculean  task.  Strong  men  are  bending 
under  the  strain;  the  financial  burden  alone  is  terrific; 
taxation  for  armament,  education,  and  improvements 
is  absorbing  thirty  per  cent,  of  the  average  man’s  in- 
come. The  nervous  tension  is  high.  More  and  more 
the  machinery  of  life  moves  at  the  American  pace. 

Ask  Japanese  men  of  affairs  what  Japan  most  needs 
to-day  and  nine  out  of  ten  will  reply  “More  wealth.” 
This  is  in  a measure  true;  but  Baron  Shibusawa,  him- 
self a leader  in  the  financial  world,  showed  deeper 
insight  into  the  situation  in  a speech  made  upon  his 
return  from  America  in  1 909.  The  Baron  said  he 
had  traced  the  cause  of  American  prosperity  to  two 
sources:  First,  the  rich  natural  resources,  and  second, 
the  character  of  the  people,  and  he  added  that  the 


4 


character  had  far  more  to  do  with  it  than  the  resources. 
He  sought  whence  came  the  enterprise,  the  self- 
reliance,  the  public  spirit  of  the  American  character; 
and  decided  that  they  had  all  sprung  from  Christian 
institutions,  “and,”  he  concluded,  “that  is  why  I want 
to  see  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  ex- 
tended in  Japan,  for  Japan  needs  men  of  such  char- 
acter.” 

The  Hon.  S.  Ebara,  member  of  the  House  of 
Peers,  aptly  diagnoses  the  case  thus:  “Japan  to-day 
is  like  the  five  fingers  of  the  hand;  the  army  and  navy, 
the  schools,  the  courts,  and  the  factories  are  like  the 
thumb  and  first  three  fingers,  all  long  and  strong,  but 
religion  and  morality  are  like  the  little  finger,  short  and 
weak.”  Baron  Shibusawa  has  been  a life-long  Con- 
fucianist.  Mr.  Ebara  has  been  for  forty  years  a 
Christian,  and  is  now  head  of  the  Tokyo  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association.  Their  contrasted  religious  faith 
makes  the  coincidence  of  their  verdict  all  the  more 
striking.  If  further  testimony  is  needed,  note  the 
words  of  Marquis  Okuma,  written  shortly  before  he 
became  Premier:  “Our  country  is  a very  sick  man. 
It  is  hopeless  to  look  to  politics  or  even  education  alone 
to  cure  him.” 

From  ancient  times  Japan  has  had  plenty  of  re- 
ligious forms  and  precepts,  but  she  has  desperately 
lacked  the  kind  of  religion  that  brings  the  power  of 
the  Heavenly  Father  into  the  very  life  of  sin-battered 
men.  That  supreme  contribution  to  the  weal  of  Japan 
it  has  been  preeminently  America’s  privilege  to  make. 
American  missionaries  went  over,  the  moment  the  bar- 


Another 

Eminent 

States- 

man’s 

Judg- 

ment 


5 


The  Two 
Pivots 


riers  were  down  in  1 859.  They  wrought  in  peril, 
toil,  and  pain.  Then  when  the  Church  had  been 
planted  and  the  need  arose  for  “applied  Christianity” 
adapted  to  tempted  young  men,  the  missionaries  and 
the  young  Church  alike  sought  the  specialized  aid  of 
the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association. 

It  was  because  the  whole  situation  impinged  most 
directly  upon  young  men  that  the  call  for  the  Young 
Men’s  Christian  Association  was  so  insistent.  The 
judgment  of  early  Christian  leaders  is  confirmed  to-day 
by  the  well-nigh  embarrassing  confidence  of  men  like 
Dr.  Nitobe,  Professor  of  Colonial  Administration  in 
Tokyo  Imperial  University,  author  of  “Bushido,” 
who  has  recently  written:  “I  have  a strong  convic- 
tion that  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  is 
the  most  efficient  instrument  of  doing  His  will  in  the 
East.  I have  seen  its  work  and  my  conviction  is  con- 
firmed as  my  observation  extends.” 

The  Association  was  summoned  to  Japan  chiefly 
because  it  had  demonstrated  in  America  and  Europe 
its  ability  to  meet  the  needs  of  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  men;  but  when  the  S.  O.  S.  call  first  went  to 
American  Associations  in  1 889  it  was  on  behalf  of 
the  students,  for  they  constituted  alike  the  most  influ- 
ential and  the  most  accessible  class.  A little  later  the 
rise  of  modern  business  and  industry  brought  the  needs 
of  city  young  men  to  the  front,  and  an  equally 
urgent  call  went  out  on  their  behalf. 


6 


II  THE  STUDENT  ARMY 
Destination  Unknown 


Dean  Shailer  Mathews,  speaking  in  Tokyo,  said: 
“We  have  in  Chicago  what  I suppposed  was  the  larg- 
est body  of  students  possibly  in  the  world,  but  I find 
that  Chicago  is  not  in  the  same  class  with  Tokyo.” 
Thirty  thousand  college  men  and  70,000  high  school 
boys  constitute  the  student  army  of  Japan’s  intellectual 
capital. 

Student  life  in  Tokyo  resembles  in  many  ways  stu- 
dent life  all  around  the  world,  but  there  are  certain 
striking  differences.  One  is  that  young  men  in  Japan 
have  almost  no  opportunity  for  wholesome  social  inter- 
course. Professors  hold  aloof  from  their  students; 
there  is  no  co-education ; and  intercourse  between  men 
and  women  is  narrowly  restricted.  Another  difference 
is  that  only  a small  fraction  of  them  have  any  oppor- 
tunity to  engage  in  recreative  sports.  Still  another  is 
the  tremendous  schedule  which  many  of  them  carry, 
thirty  to  thirty-five  hours  of  lectures  a week.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  city  is  plentifully  supplied  with  cheap 
and  alluring  resorts  of  vice;  continental  literature  and 
Japanese  imitations  have  an  immense  vogue;  and, 
finally,  30,000  students  live  in  public  boarding  houses, 
which  are  too  often  gateways  to  immorality  and  at 
best  are  calculated  to  make  men  careless  and  irre- 
sponsible. 


Out- 

classing 

Chicago 


Handi- 
caps and 
Allure- 
ments 
to  Evil 


7 


The  Twenty-sixth  Annual  Summer  Conference  Held  at  Gotemba,  the  New  Association  Conference 

Place  at  the  Foot  of  Mount  Fuji 


Surely,  in  face  of  such  perils,  men  should  have  all  Adrift 
the  resources  of  a living  religion.  Yet  what  are  the 
facts?  A rough  census  of  the  religious  inclination  of 
the  students  in  Tokyo  Imperial  University  shows  that 
of  the  5,000  men,  3,000  are  indifferent,  300  are 
sceptics,  700  are  Buddhists,  500  Shintoists,  100 
Confucianists,  and  250  Christians. 

These  proportions  are  typical  of  students  through-  Leaven 
out  the  Empire.  The  Church  itself  and  the  missionary  prom 
body  are  doing  a great  work  among  the  students,  but  1 m 
the  Church  looks  to  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Asso- 
ciation to  tackle  the  student  situation  from  within. 

The  strategy  of  the  student  Associations  centers  on  two 
points.  First,  the  organization  of  Associations  inside 
the  chief  government  and  private  colleges,  and  the 
setting  of  students  to  work  among  their  fellows  in  much 
the  same  fashion  as  in  the  student  movement  in  western 
lands.  So  aggressive  have  the  Christian  students  been 
in  evangelism,  Bible  study,  and  Sunday  school  teach- 
ing that  Buddhists  have  been  spurred  to  imitation. 

Second,  the  establishment  of  hostels  or  homes,  where 
the  leaders  of  student  Associations  may  live.  Twenty 
such  hostels,  given  largely  by  American  friends,  have 
already  been  planted  beside  as  many  government  col- 
leges. At  the  Tokyo  and  Kyoto  Imperial  Universi- 
ties there  are  also  excellent  Association  buildings, 
which  provide  headquarters  for  the  social  and  religious 
activities. 

An  offshoot  of  the  student  movement  is  the  corps  Unique 
of  twenty-five  American  and  British  teachers  of  Eng-  By- 
lish  who  have  been  secured  for  government  schools  by  Prot*ucl 


f) 


Kyoto  Imperial  University  Association  Building  and  Hostels, 
Typical  of  Eighteen  Other  Hostels  in  Student  Centers 


Thou- 
sands 
of  Open 
Minds 


the  Association.  They  are,  first  of  all,  teachers  of 
the  English  language;  but  in  their  own  homes  and  in 
the  churches  they  are  exerting  a powerful  Christian 
influence,  having  500  men  in  Bible  classes. 

An  illustration  of  the  facility  with  which  the  Asso- 
ciation can  gain  access  to  students  was  afforded  by  the 
fact  that  in  one  year  the  national  student  secretary  was 
invited  into  government  school  assembly  rooms  to  ad- 
dress 20,000  students  on  moral  and  personal  themes. 
Every  year  several  thousands  of  Testaments  and  por- 
tions are  sold  to  students,  and  Fosdick’s  “Manhood 
of  the  Master,”  in  Japanese,  has  gone  through  two 
editions  in  six  months.  A frankly  Christian  paper  has 
reached  the  phenomenal  circulation  of  52,000  copies, 
all  of  which  are  distributed  in  1 ,028  non-Christian 
schools  and  with  the  consent  of  the  principals. 

The  student  movement  in  Japan  is  still  young,  but 
already  it  has  put  its  imprint  upon  hundreds  of  men 
who  have  gone  forth  as  lay  leaders  in  religious  and 
social  work.  In  a country  which  exalts  learning  as 


10 


Japan  does,  where  the  bureaucracy  is  so  potent  and 
every  important  civil  servant  must  have  a college  di- 
ploma, it  is  hard  to  overstate  the  possibilities  of  the 
student  movement  for  fruitfulness  during  the  coming 
years. 


11 


Cabinet  Making — One  of  Many  Trades  Taught  in  the  Korean  Association  Industrial  School  at  Seoul 


III.  THE  CITIES 
Money  vs.  Manhood 


Japan  is  a small  country,  but  she  has  some  big 
cities.  Tokyo  ranks  next  to  New  York  and  London 
in  population,  Osaka  has  a million  and  a third  popula- 
tion, Kyoto,  Kobe,  Yokohama,  and  Nagoya  have  all 
passed  the  half  million  point,  and  ten  other  cities  have 
over  a hundred  thousand  each.  And  they  are  all 
growing  fourteen  times  as  fast  as  the  population  of 
the  whole  Empire.  Publicists  are  alarmed  at  the 
suddenness  and  seriousness  of  city  problems.  Two  of 
the  prolific  sources  of  danger  are  the  factory  system 
and  the  rush  to  make  money  in  trade.  And  these 
two  lines,  industry  and  trade,  employ  two-thirds  of 
the  young  men  in  the  cities.  The  factory  system  has 
come  in  with  a rush,  till  there  are  now  over  900,000 
employes.  Sidney  Webb  of  London  said,  after  per- 
sonal inspection,  that  conditions  in  Japan  were  as  bad 
as  in  English  factories  in  1 840.  Until  1916  there 
had  been  no  factory  laws,  and  the  law  which  has  re- 
cently gone  into  effect,  although  far  better  than  noth- 
ing, is  pitifully  full  of  loopholes. 

In  old  Japan  money  was  held  in  contempt,  and  the 
merchant  stood  at  the  bottom  of  the  social  scale.  In 
new  Japan  the  lust  for  money  is  spreading  to  all  ranks. 
In  a word,  the  city  men  of  Japan  to-day  are  fighting 
against  the  same  odds  as  the  city  men  in  America,  but 


Big 

Cities 

and 

Bigger 

Problems 


The 

Money 

Fever 


13 


Old 

Props 

Rotting 


Where 

the 

Associa- 

tion 

Comes  In 


with  this  exception — in  America  there  are  ten  protect- 
ing influences  to  one  in  Japan. 

Japanese  culture  owes  a lasting  debt  to  Buddhism, 
and  philosophic  Buddhism  even  to-day  contains  lofty 
and  beneficial  teachings,  but  popular  Buddhism  is  so 
corrupt  that  the  late  Baron  Kato,  himself  an  agnostic 
and  no  lover  of  Christianity,  wrote  in  1912:  “Budd- 
hist priests  are  rotten  and  worse  than  useless.  Chris- 
tianity I dislike  as  an  anti-national  doctrine,  but  Chris- 
tian men  I admire.  They  are  noble  and  unselfish.’’ 
Buddhism  was  once  the  light  of  the  East,  but  now  its 
light  is  too  often  darkness.  Japan  has  created  a re- 
markable public  school  system  and  through  it  has  at- 
tempted to  build  up  a national  patriotic  cult  intended 
to  be  itself  a religion,  but  even  the  champions  of  this 
policy  are  now  compelled  to  admit  that  neither  educa- 
tion nor  patriotism  can  give  the  motive  power  and  un- 
selfishness needed.  In  their  distress  men  are  increas- 
ingly wondering  if  Christianity  may  not  be  the  remedy. 

No  one  has  put  his  finger  on  the  place  of  the  Asso- 
ciation in  national  economy  more  exactly  than  that 
keen  business  man,  Baron  Shibusawa,  who  made  this 
statement:  “As  a business  man  I believe  it  is  better 
policy  to  make  buildings  fireproof  from  the  start  than 
to  put  up  frame  structures  and  pay  high  insurance, 
and  even  then  frequently  lose  the  whole  structure.  It 
is  on  that  principle  that  I believe  in  the  Young  Men’s 
Christian  Association.  It  is  a powerful  preventive 
agency.  It  keeps  young  men  from  going  wrong  instead 
of  waiting  until  they  are  corrupted  and  then  trying  to 
reform  them.  It  provides  moral  fireproofing,  and  in 


14 


Kyoto  Association  Building 
Gift  of  Hon.  John  Wanamaker 


Japan  that  is  the  greatest  need  of  our  young  men. 
Considering  the  youth  and  the  limited  resources  of  the 
Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  in  Japan,  it  has 
accomplished  much  already  and  I believe  it  deserves 
the  hearty  backing  of  all  good  men  so  that  it  can  extend 
its  activities.” 

The  Association  is  planted  squarely  in  the  center  How  It 
of  ten  of  the  great  cities.  Buildings  put  up  by  the  ,s  Done 
gifts  of  Americans  and  Japanese  are  rallying  centers 


15 


Indirect 

Approach 


Opposi- 

tion 

Yields 


for  young  men  and  for  co-operative  Christian  enter- 
prises. Among  the  most  productive  lines  of  activity 
are  the  employment  bureau,  the  addresses  on  moral 
and  religious  topics,  the  physical  education  movement, 
and  the  Bible  and  educational  classes.  During  the 
recent  lean  years  thousands  of  men  have  applied  to 
the  Association  employment  bureaus.  Last  year  the 
Association  in  Tokyo  found  positions  for  815  men 
out  of  6,300  applicants.  The  bureau  is  called  “De- 
partment for  Counsel  on  Personal  Problems”  and 
many  of  the  applicants  are  helped  in  more  than  getting 
a living.  For  three  successive  years  the  Department 
of  the  Interior  has  made  the  Bureau  in  Tokyo  an 
unsolicited  grant. 

The  lectures  and  religious  addresses  given  by  Chris- 
tian educators  and  publicists  are  reaching  thousands  of 
men  who  at  first  shy  at  the  Church.  The  Post  Office 
authorities  in  Tokyo  had  for  years  depended  upon 
Buddhist  priests  to  give  moral  instruction  to  the  2,700 
postal  clerks,  but  they  found  the  Buddhists  didn’t 
“deliver  the  goods”  and  decided  to  give  Christianity 
a trial.  They  turned  to  the  Tokyo  Association  and 
within  three  days  a corps  of  twenty-three  able  volun- 
teer speakers  had  been  enlisted.  The  plan  has  been 
tried  two  years.  It  works.  It  has  delighted  clerks, 
officials,  and  speakers,  and  has  opened  unexpected 
doors  of  service. 

Nagasaki,  with  its  terraced  hillsides  and  picturesque 
bay,  only  fifty  years  ago  was  the  scene  of  bitter  per- 
secution of  Christianity,  and  300  years  ago  was  the 
place  where  hundreds  of  the  Christians  won  by  the 


16 


Some  of  Osaka  Association’s  2,056  Day  and  Night 
School  Students 

Jesuits  were  exiled  or  crucified.  It  was  to  such  a city 
that  Dr.  Sasamori,  a De  Pauw  University  man,  sum- 
moned the  Association  twelve  years  ago.  In  1 906  a 
building  was  put  up,  and  evangelistic  meetings,  con- 
certs, educational  classes,  a weekly  Bible  school  of  a 
hundred,  and  lectures  attended  by  the  best  men  in  the 
city,  have  drop  by  drop  worn  away  the  stone  of  con- 
tempt and  opposition  until  to-day  it  is  hard  to  find  a 
prominent  citizen  who  does  not  approve  the  Associa- 
tion. 

Osaka  Association’s  barn-like  hall,  costing  about 
$6,000  and  erected  in  1 887,  was  the  very  first  Asso- 
ciation building  in  the  Orient.  To-day  it  might  be 
dangerous  in  a heavy  earthquake,  but  in  it  and  the 
chain  of  sheds  around  it  has  grown  up  an  educational 
work  enrolling  2,056  pupils,  a number  exceeded  by 
few  American  Associations.  Every  new  class  means 
a new  Bible  class;  for  the  Associations  in  Japan  make 


Poor 
Plant — 
Rich 
Output 


IT 


A Rich 

Man’s 

Son 


T rade 
and 

Religion 
in  Seoul 


a point  of  Bible  teaching  and  religious  talks  for  all 
their  educational  pupils.  It  was  to  make  possible  such 
achievements  that  Mr.  Sajima  left  a professorship  of 
physics  nine  years  ago,  to  give  himself  to  the  secretary- 
ship in  Osaka. 

Here  are  two  examples  of  how  the  leaven  works. 
A Japanese  University  graduate  inherited  a fortune. 
His  father  had  been  neither  a Christian  nor  a philan- 
thropist, but  Christ  came  into  the  son’s  life  at  seven- 
teen and  fired  him  with  an  unquenchable  love  for  his 
fellow  students  and  with  a determination  to  consecrate 
all  his  property  and  education  to  the  solution  of  indus- 
trial problems.  He  is  still  a young  man,  and  is  con- 
sidered the  strongest  influence  for  righteousness  and 
civic  improvement  in  Kumamoto,  a city  of  90,000 
people.  In  his  own  Church  and  in  the  Association  he 
is  a national  leader.  He  incarnates  the  Christian  solu- 
tion of  Japan’s  social  problems.  In  the  university  and 
m his  home  city  he  has  been  head  of  the  Association. 

Another  graduate  of  the  Imperial  University,  who 
was  a leader  in  the  Association  during  his  student 
days,  has  founded  the  only  workingmen’s  union  in  the 
Empire  and  is  conducting  it  on  Christian  principles. 
Already  it  enrolls  1 0,000  members  and  gives  promise 
of  becoming  a helpful  factor,  not  only  in  Japan,  but 
in  relation  to  the  Japanese  immigration  question  in 
America. 

Or  go  across  the  channel  to  Korea,  that  rapidly 
developing  outpost  of  the  Empire.  The  Korean  peo- 
ple are  in  urgent  need  of  industrial  development.  Seoul 
Central  Association  early  discerned  this  need  and  set 


18 


Jiujitsu  in  Kobe  Association  Gymnasium 

up  a trade  school  to  teach  shoemaking,  wood  and  iron 
working,  printing,  and  photography;  at  the  same  time 
it  has  many  hundreds  of  men  in  Bible  classes  every 
week,  and  270  were  led  to  Christ  last  year. 

With  all  their  inherited  fondness  for  martial  sports, 
like  jiujitsu,  the  Japanese  young  men  are  a fallow 
field  for  the  Association  type  of  physical  education. 
Kobe,  Dairen,  and  Kyoto  have  pioneered  in  physical 
lines,  combining  Japanese  jiujitsu  and  fencing  with 
basketball  and  volleyball.  The  Third  Far  Eastern 
Athletic  Association  Games,  the  “Oriental  Olympics,” 
to  be  held  in  Tokyo  in  1917,  will  give  outdoor  sports 
a tremendous  boom.  To  the  Associations  they  will 
bring  an  embarrassingly  large  task,  for  the  Associa- 
tion’s national  physical  director  is  the  Executive  Secre- 
tary of  the  Games  and  the  Association  is  the  only 
organization  equipped  with  modern  gymnasiums  or 


The 

Physical 

Message 


19 


The 
Sinews 
of  War 


During  1916  a Line  of  6,300  Men  Sought  Interviews  with 
the  Tokyo  Association  Employment  Secretary 


with  leaders  in  field  sports.  The  scope  and  sudden- 
ness of  the  opportunity,  however,  make  imperative  the 
immediate  increase  of  the  American  and  Japanese 
physical  staff.  Upon  it  will  fall  the  duty  of  grappling 
in  a constructive  way  with  the  curse  of  impurity.  No 
one  who  knows  how  cheap  women  are  held,  how 
prevalent  are  venereal  diseases,  or  how,  without  a 
blush,  young  men  throng  the  public  and  private  houses 
of  ill  fame,  can  doubt  that  the  power  of  Christ  alone 
will  suffice  to  cope  with  this  evil. 

Japan’s  recent  progress  has  been  balked  at  every 
turn  by  lack  of  money.  Compared  with  Europe  and 
America  she  is  poverty  stricken.  In  face  of  this  diffi- 
culty it  is  nothing  short  of  a miracle  what  the  Govern- 
ment has  accomplished.  But  still  more  remarkable 
are  the  achievements  of  the  Christian  body,  which  has 
no  taxes  to  fall  back  upon.  The  Christian  Church  is 
still  making  a fierce  struggle  for  complete  self-support. 


20 


It  is  all  the  more  striking,  therefore,  that  the  Associa- 
tions have  been  able  to  attain  almost  complete  inde- 
pendence of  outside  aid  for  their  current  expenses. 
Nine-tenths  of  their  combined  budgets,  totaling 
$50,000,  is  raised  in  Japan,  and  the  one-tenth  re- 
ceived from  abroad  goes  almost  wholly  to  work  among 
students.  The  secret  is  that  their  work,  while  always 
controlled  by  Christians,  nevertheless  commends  itself 
so  thoroughly  to  non-Christian  business  men,  whose 
confidence  was  first  won  by  the  ministry  of  the  Asso- 
ciation to  the  soldiers  in  Manchuria  during  the  war 
with  Russia,  that  they  have  been  constrained  to  give 
toward  its  support.  One  of  the  definite  contributions 
of  the  Association  to  the  Church  has  been  this  win- 
ning of  the  gifts  of  non-Christians.  In  some  cases 
they  have  first  given  their  money  and  then  followed 
their  treasure  by  giving  their  hearts  to  God. 

One  of  the  charming  characteristics  of  the  Japanese 
Association  leaders  has  been  that  their  laudable  zeal 
for  independence  has  not  made  them  super-sensitive 
against  receiving  gifts  from  abroad,  so  long  as  their 
autonomy  was  not  infringed.  They  have  been  quick 
to  appreciate  the  secretaries  sent  over  as  pioneers  and 
coaches  by  the  International  Committee,  and  also  the 
large  gifts  contributed  by  Americans  for  Association 
buildings  and  hostels.  It  has  been  a happy  partner- 
ship. Impartial  judges  declare  that  the  investment — 
the  cost  of  a single  metropolitan  Association  building 
in  America — has  already  yielded  handsome  dividends, 
and  the  coupons  will  go  on  maturing  for  generations 
to  come. 


An 

Effective 

Partner- 

ship 


21 


A Few  of  the  2,500  Men  in  Osaka  Association  Bible  Classes 


Not  Yet  It  would  be  far  wide  of  the  mark  to  infer  from  the 
Attained  above  survey  that  the  Japanese  Associations  had  al- 
ready attained.  In  fact,  their  achievements  are  paltry 
when  compared  with  the  need  and  the  pressing  oppor- 
tunities. On  the  roster  are  eighty-five  Associations  and 

10.500  members  out  of  ten  million  young  men!  The 

2.500  men  in  the  Bible  groups,  the  3,000  men  in  the 
educational  classes,  and  the  5 1 6 led  to  receive  baptism 
last  year  are  clearly  no  cause  for  self-gratulation. 
The  many  unentered  cities  and  colleges  are  a standing 
challenge.  The  handful  of  secretaries — twenty  Jap- 
anese and  Koreans  and  twelve  Americans  and  Cana- 
dians— what  are  they  to  face  so  vast  a task ! No  one 
realizes  these  things  better  than  the  Association  leaders 
themselves.  But  they  are  thankful  that  at  least  the 
foundations  have  been  laid;  and  they  face  the  future 
with  profound  hope,  because  their  trust  is  in  God  and 
in  His  boundless  purposes  for  the  men  of  Japan. 


ao 


IV.  MEN  AT  THE  HELM 


The  London  Spectator  laments  that  we  are  living  in 
the  age  of  first  rate  events  and  second  rate  men. 
Whether  this  is  universally  true  or  not,  Japanese  lead- 
ers are  constantly  lamenting  the  lack  of  men  with  back- 
bone, integrity,  and  capacity.  Merchant  barons  scour 
the  land  for  men  who  have  conscience  as  well  as 
cleverness.  With  rare  exceptions,  Christianity  seems 
to  be  the  only  power  that  can  turn  out  eighteen  karat 
gold  character.  The  Association's  chief  reason  for 
being  is  to  give  Christ,  the  great  Character  Maker,  a 
chance  to  operate  upon  young  men.  The  type  of 
leaders  already  developed  in  goodly  numbers  is  full 
of  promise  for  the  future.  Here  are  cameos  of  five. 

Mr.  Seijiro  Niwa,  grad- 
uate of  Doshisha  Christian 
University,  interpreter  for 
Luther  D.  Wishard  in  1889. 
First  “native”  secretary  in 
the  foreign  field.  Builder 
with  Swift  and  Miller  of  the 
Tokyo  City  Association,  and 
now  for  six  years  pioneer 
national  secretary  for  all  the 
Japanese  work  in  Korea; 
trusted  as  few  men  are  by  both  Japanese  and  Koreans, 
by  officials  and  by  missionaries.  At  the  request  of 
the  Government  he  gives  half  his  time  to  directing  the 


Mr.  S.  Niwa 


Some 

Young 

Leader* 


Japan’s 

Pioneer 

Secre- 

tary 


For 

Railway 

Men 


A Friend 
of 

Verling 

Helm 


welfare  work  among  the  1 0,000  employes  on  the 
Korean  Railways. 

Mr.  M.  Masutomi,  grad- 
uate of  Presbyterian  and 
Dutch  Reformed  schools. 

Enlisted  in  the  Japanese 
work  among  soldiers  during 
the  Russo-Japanese  war. 

Pioneer  in  Association  effort 
for  railway  men  in  Tokyo, 
and  now  chief  secretary  for 
moral  and  relief  work  among 
1 00,000  railway  employes 
throughout  Japan  proper, 
magazine  having  25,000  subscribers.  Founder  and 
eloquent  spokesman  of  the  Social  Purity  League, 
which  has  kept  up  a hot  fire  against  the  social  evil,  and 
initiator  of  the  Religious  Press  Bureau  and  the  metro- 
politan newspaper  evangelism. 


Mr.  M.  Masutomi 
Editor  railway  men’s 


Mr.  K.  Yamamoto,  grad- 
uate of  Tokyo  Government 
Commercial  College.  In  ten 
years  rose  to  a responsible 
post  in  the  Japan  Mail 
Steamship  Company.  En- 
listed as  a director  of  the 
Tokyo  Association  as  volun- 
teer executive  of  the  National 
Committee’s  army  work. 


Mr.  K.  Yamamoto 


Called  to  succeed  Niwa  as  secretary  at  Tokyo,  he 
accepted  in  face  of  determined  opposition  from  his 
employers.  He  is  an  indispensable  and  daring  execu- 
tive in  co-operative  Church  enterprise. 

Mr.  K.  Muramatsu,  a McBur- 
commercial  clerk,  went  to  ney  s 
America  in  1 890  to  gain  ^ouc^ 
business  experience.  Attend- 
ed church  on  his  first  Sunday 
in  New  York.  After  service 
waited  at  the  door  for  some- 
one to  speak  to  him.  Finally 
as  he  was  about  to  leave, 
disappointed,  a kindly  man 
approached  and  said:  “Here 
is  my  card.  Come  to  see  me  next  Saturday  at  my 
office  in  the  Twenty -third  Street  Young  Men’s  Chris- 
tian Association.”  That  act  made  Muramatsu  re- 
solve to  give  his  life  to  befriending  young  men  in  Kobe 
upon  his  return.  Settled  in  Kobe,  he  lived  up  to  his 
resolve.  After  struggling  for  twelve  years  to  get  an 
Association  building  and  giving  his  own  hard  earned 
savings  to  the  building  fund,  he  sees  to-day  one  of  the 
best  buildings  in  the  Empire  and  a work  that  is  touch- 
ing hundreds  of  men  away  from  home.  Twenty 
years  after  that  incident  in  New  York  he  learned  that 
his  friend  was  none  other  than  Robert  R.  McBurney. 

Mr.  I.  Fujita,  student  in  Kobe  Association  night 
school  and  Bible  class.  Interest  in  Christ  thus  quick- 
ened, led  him  to  Church  and  to  Christian  faith  in  Oka- 


Mr.  K.  Muramatsu 


25 


From 
Night 
School 
to  Impe- 
rial 

Univer- 

sity 


Older 
Men  for 
Counsel 


yama,  where  he  attended  col- 
lege. Paid  his  way  by  de- 
livering milk  before  day- 
break. Graduated  with 
honor  from  Tokyo  Imperial 
University,  and  became  the 
first  secretary  of  the  Asso- 
ciation in  that  University, 
the  acknowledged  leader  in 
voluntary  Christian  work 
among  5,000  students  in 
the  highest  seat  of  learning  in  Asia,  a loyal  church- 
man, a magnetic  friend. 

But  these  younger  leaders  with  all  their  strength 
depend  on  the  backing  of  boards  of  older  men  who 
are  comparable  to  the  best  boards  of  directors  in 
American  Associations.  Among  them  are  such  men 
as  the  president  of  Tokyo  Association,  the  Hon.  S. 
Ebara,  member  of  the  House  of  Peers  by  Imperial 
appointment,  and  at  seventy-six  a tireless  leader  in 
social  reform;  Dr.  Ibuka,  whose  principalship  of  a 
Christian  college  has  not  hindered  his  serving  many 
years  as  chairman  of  the  Association  National  Com- 
mittee and  of  other  bodies;  Dr.  Harada,  successor  to 
Joseph  Neesima  as  president  of  Doshisha  University, 
who  heads  Kyoto  Association;  Judge  Watanabe, 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Korean  Court  of  Appeals,  mod- 
est, steadfast,  a tower  of  strength  to  Church  and  Asso- 
ciation; Dr.  Nitobe  of  Tokyo  Imperial  University, 
persuasive  interpreter  of  Japan  to  America  and  of 


Mr.  I.  Futita 


26 


The 

General 

Staff 


Open 
Channel 
or  Reef 


America  to  Japan,  lavish  in  counsel  and  in  service  for 
the  sake  of  young  men;  the  Hon.  Yun  Chi  Ho,  pub- 
licist and  educator,  who  through  great  tribulation  has 
become  a spiritual  leader  of  the  new  Korea.  Five  of 
the  men  named  have  received  decorations  from  the 
Emperor  for  meritorious  service  to  their  country. 

It  is  princely  men  such  as  these  who  constitute  the 
General  Staff  of  the  Association  and  of  the  Church. 
They  know  to  the  dark  bottom  the  doubt  and  sin  of 
their  young  countrymen,  but  they  also  know  to  the 
bright  summit  the  purifying  and  transforming  power 
of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

William  H.  Seward’s  prophecy  of  1870 — “the 
Pacific  Ocean,  with  its  shores  and  islands,  will  be  the 
theater  of  the  world’s  great  hereafter” — seemed 
visionary  when  it  was  uttered.  To-day  the  actors  are 
upon  the  stage  and  the  play  is  in  progress.  What 
man  of  red  blood  and  Christian  ambition  does  not 
tingle  at  the  sight!  Is  a tragedy  or  a Divina  Corn- 

media  to  be  enacted  there?  It  is  for  America  to  de- 
termine. To  be  sure  she  is  not  the  only  actor,  but 

whatever  may  be  her  place  in  the  last  act,  to-day  she 

holds  a leading  role.  On  the  fidelity  and  generosity 
of  American  Christians  does  it  preeminently  depend 
whether  Japan  and  China  shall  be  swept  irresistibly 
toward  the  clear  mid-stream  of  Christianity  or  shall  be 
allowed  to  drift  into  the  brackish  backwater.  A 
Christianized  Japan  will  be  a mighty  channel  for  the 
Christianizing  of  the  Orient  and  of  the  whole  Pacific 
basin;  an  un-Christianized  Japan  will  be  a sunken 
crag  in  the  fairway  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 


28 


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